In Bookstores Today: Jane Austen Made Me Do It

Today is the big released day for the new Jane Austen inspired and tribute novel, Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature's Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart edited by Laurel Ann Nattress (of Austenprose). It's a fantastic book! I had the pleasure and honor of getting an ARC (Thank you Laurel Ann and Random House Publishing Group) of it! I will be posting my book review of JAMMDI in a bit. Jane Austen Made Me Do It (by Ballantine Books) is now available in all bookstores and online retailers around the country. Go get your copy! 

Jane Austen Made Me Do It is a short story anthology of 22 short stories by 24 of the most talented writers including Laurie Viera Rigler (author of Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, & Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict), which I had the pleasure of interviewing her here last December 2010), Monica Fairview, Amanda Grange, Alexandra Potter, Pamela Aidan, and Jane Odiwe to name some.

Come help the lovely Laurel Ann party like it’s 1811 on her Grand Tour of the blogosphere, October 10 – November 10, 2011, in celebration of the book’s release. P&P Blog is taking part of her book tour! Laurel Ann will make a special guest blog appearance here next (with a book giveaway!) Friday October 21st and I'll be doing a Q&A/interview with her on the following day October 22nd!

Mark your calendars:

• Friday - Oct 21st – P&P 2005 Blog Part 1
• Saturday - Oct 22nd – P&P 2005 Blog Part 2

See more of Jane Austen Made Me Do It Blog Tour Schedule!

Here is the lowdown of  Jane Austen Made Me Do It (via Laurel Ann of AUSTENPROSE):

Edited by Austenprose’s Laurel Ann Nattress and published just in time for the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense & Sensibility, JANE AUSTEN MADE ME DO IT: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart (Ballantine Books; October 11, 2011) is an engaging collection of 22 never-before-published original short stories inspired by Jane Austen. The treasures in this volume include exclusive short fiction, Q&As and reading group material from beloved bestselling authors Jo Beverley, Adriani Trigiani, and Lauren Willig; top Austen sequel writers Pamela Aidan, Amanda Grange, Laurie Viera Rigler, Stephanie Barron and Alexandra Potter; and a brand new voice in Austenesque fiction—the as-yet-unannounced winner of a short story contest hosted by Ballantine Books, Austenprose, and the highly trafficked Austen fan site The Republic of Pemberley (Pemberley.com), which receives 80 million hits per year.

Nattress says, “One of the joys of editing this anthology was composing a list of my ‘dream authors’ who write in the genre, and others whom I greatly admire who have been influenced by Austen’s style, and asking them to contribute a short story. My only request was that they stay within the theme of exploring Austen’s philosophies of life and love by reacquainting readers with characters from her novels or introducing original stories inspired by her ideals. From historical to contemporary to young-adult fiction to paranormal, five of Austen’s major novels and her life are featured in this anthology, covering ‘every possible flight which the subject will afford.’ I hope you will be as pleased and delighted as I am by the variety of amusing and poignant stories created for this collection.”

Each of these marvelous works of short fiction reaffirms the incomparable influence of one of history’s most cherished authors. As Nattress writes in her introduction, “we all have our favorites.” Mine may be the first in the volume, “Jane Austen’s Nightmare,” by Syrie James—if you’ve ever wondered what would happen if Jane Austen encountered her own characters in real life, this one is a must-read. 

For more info on this novel visit its official website or Laurel Ann's own  AUSTENPROSE- A JANE AUSTEN BLOG!